Improved car for transporting petroleum



DENSMORE 6L YOST.

Freight Car.

No. 55,831. A Patentedlune 26. 1866.

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N N l T N q ltg Witnesses: Inventor:

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. DENSMORE, OF MEADVILLE, AND G. W. N. YOST, OF OORRY, PA.

IMPROVED CAR FOR TRANSPORTING PETROLEUM.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,831. dated June 26, 1866.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES DENSMORE, of Meadville, and GEORGE W. N. YOST, of Oorry, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Tank-Oar for Carrying Petroleum or other Liquid Substances in Bulk on Railways; and we declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.

Our invention is an improvement upon and a modification of an invention of James Densmore and Amos Densmore, for which a patent was granted and issued to them on the 10th day of April, 1866; and it consists of a light tight tank combined with the platform of a common flat railway-car, so fastened as to make it a fixture and component part of the car, so as to carry the desired substance in one mass bulk, instead of in barrels, casks, or other vessels or packages, as has heretofore universally been done on railway-cars, and thereby savev carrying the weight of the bar'- rels, casks, or other vessels` or packages.

Our improvement and modification consists of one tank fastened upon the middle of the platform ot' the car, instead of two tanks fastened upon the ends of the platform of the car, one direct-ly over each truck, and is peculiarly adapted to such short platform or flat cars as have heretofore been made and used on several railways more commonly than now, whose trucks nearly meet, instead of being fifteen to twenty feet, or more orless, wide apart, as in the now more common style of flat car; but it is readily adaptable to a long platform fiat car by properly trestlin g the sills of the platform, so as to sustain the weight of the tank when filled.

[n the accompanying` drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of our invention, and Fig. 2 is a top view of it; and the following description of its construction and operation will enable others to make and use it.

Upon the carplatform A we make a large tank, B, round, elliptical, or square, of light wood staves hooped, or of light sheet-iron riveted and calked, or of any other light firm material; but we prefer light wood staves, hooped, for simplicity, durability, and cheapness combined.

We put the middle ofthe bottom of the tank upon the middle of the platform of the car. We make the conjugate or cross diameter of the tank equal to the diameter of the platform, and the transverse or length diameter from one foot to two or more feet greater, so as to have the less height to the tank of a capacity of ten to twelve tons of the substance to he carried, (the freight capacity of a rail- \vaycar,) and to spread the weight as much as practicable lengthwise upon the platform of the car.

Upon the top of the tank, resting on the chine, we puta square frame of four bars, C O G C, of such asize that the centers of the four corners of the frame shall be directly over the outside edge of the tank at four points. Through the four corners of this frame we pass the four bolts D D D D, close to and touching the side of the tank at the four points and down through the platform, and we fasten and press the tank to the car by means of screws and collars upon the ends of the bolts below the platform and above the corners of the frame. This frame and these bolts, when screwed tight and pressing the tank upon car, act as guys or braces, and tend to prevent any jar or shock from the swaying of the car while in motion.

The chine of the bottom head or end of the tank we make two inches long from and below the bottom surface of the head or end of the tank, and within the chine, conjugate to the staves or plank of the head or end, we put on four to tive cleats, two inches thick, as bearers, to protrude evenly with the chine and to fill the space between the bottom head and the platform, so that the weight of the substance in the tank when filled shall not bend or spring down the planks or stares of the head.

In the top head of the tank we make a manhole, through which to pour the substance to be carried and to get into the tank for any purpose, and around the man-hole we put a casing, projecting above the head about two inches, and over the manhole and casing we put a man head or cover, E, to prevent rain, snow, dirt, or other thing from leaking or falling into the tank.

Upon the platform, around the bottom of the tank as it sets on the car, and close to its sides, we bolt the heavy cleats or stops F F F F, to keep the tank in its place and to prevent its being` moved by any sudden starting or stopping of the ear.

In soine part ofthe side or end of the tank,

' on a line with the top edge of the bottom head, We pnt a faucet, G, through which to draw oi the contents of the tank, and up the sides or ends of the tank, at or toward each end of the oar, We put the steps H H, to enable the brakeman or any one to pass readily from end to end of the ear. y

Vhat we claim as our improvement and modification, our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

p The one tank B, attached to and combined with the platform ot' a oar, A, by means of the frame of bars C C C C and the bolts D D D D, over and upon the middle of the plat-form and oar, when constructed and combined as and for the purposes hereinbefoie described and set forth, or when attached and combined by any othei` mechanical construction suhstantially the saine and which will produce the saine results.

JAMES DENSMORE. GEORGEW. N. YOST. Witnesses:

Jo. G. CLAYTON, L. E. GUIGNON. 

